Resplendent quetzal

The resplendent quetzal (''Pharomachrus mocinno'') is a small bird found in southern Mexico and Central America, with two recognized subspecies, ''P. m. mocinno'' and ''P. m. costaricensis''. These animals live in tropical forests, particularly montane cloud forests and they are part of the family Trogonidae. Like other quetzals, the resplendent is omnivorous; its diet mainly consists of fruits of plants in the laurel family, Lauraceae, but it occasionally also preys on insects, lizards, frogs and snails.

The species is well known for its colorful and complex plumage that differs substantially between sexes. Males have iridescent green plumes, a red lower breast and belly, black innerwings and a white undertail, whilst females are duller and have a shorter tail. Grey lower breasts, bellies, and bills, along with bronze-green heads are characteristic of females. These birds hollow holes in decaying trees or use ones already made by woodpeckers as a nest site. They are known to take turns while incubating, males throughout the day and females at night. The female usually lays one to three eggs, which hatch in 17 to 19 days. The quetzal is an altitudinal migrant, migrating from the slopes to the canopy of the forest. This occurs during the breeding season, which varies depending on the location, but usually commences in March and extends as far as August.

The resplendent quetzal is considered near threatened on the IUCN Red List, with habitat destruction being the main threat. It has an important role in Mesoamerican mythology, and is closely associated with Quetzalcoatl. Presently, it is the national animal of Guatemala, being pictured on the flag and coat of arms; it also gives its name to the country's currency, the Guatemalan quetzal.

Taxonomy

The resplendent quetzal was first described by Mexican naturalist Pablo de La Llave in 1832. It is one of five species of the genus '' Pharomachrus'', commonly known as quetzals. Quetzal is usually specifically used to refer to the resplendent, but it typically applies to all members of the genera ''Pharomachrus'' and '' Euptilotis''. Some scholars label the crested quetzal as a very close relative of the resplendent, and either suggest the crested quetzal to be subspecies of the resplendent or the two form a superspecies. The quetzal clade is thought to have fanned out from where it emerged in the Andes, the resplendent quetzal being the youngest species. The name of the genus, ''Pharomachrus'', refers to the physical characteristics of the bird, with ''pharos'' meaning "" and ''makros'' meaning "long" in Ancient Greek. The word "quetzal" came from Nahuatl (Aztec), where ''quetzalli'' (from the root ''quetza'', meaning "stand") means "tall upstanding plume" and then "quetzal tail feather"; from that, Nahuatl ''quetzaltotōtl'' means "quetzal-feather bird" and thus "quetzal".

Two subspecies are recognized, ''P. m. mocinno'' and ''P. m. costaricensis'', although there is an ongoing debate in the scientific community about whether ''costaricensis'' should be recognized as a distinct species. The specific epithet ''mocinno'' is a Latinization of the name of the biologist José Mariano M. Mociño, a mentor of his.

Description

The resplendent quetzal is the largest trogon. It is long; in the nominate subspecies, the tail streamers measure between and , with the median being for males. The nominate subspecies weighs about , while the subspecies ''costaricensis'' is slightly smaller than the nominate race, with shorter wings and bills. The tail plumes are shorter and narrower, measuring between and , with the median being .

Resplendent quetzals have a green body (showing iridescence from green-gold to blue-violet) and a red lower breast and belly. Depending on the light, quetzal feathers can shine in a variant of colors: from green, cobalt, lime, and yellow to ultramarine. Their green upper hide their tails and are particularly splendid in breeding males, being longer than the rest of the body. Though the quetzal's plumage appears green, they are actually brown due to the pigment melanin. The primary wing coverts are also unusually long and have a fringed appearance. The male has a helmet-like crest. The bill, which is partly covered by green filamentous feathers, is yellow in mature males and grey in females. Their iridescent feathers, which cause them to appear shiny and green like the canopy leaves, are a camouflage adaptation to hide within the canopy during rainy weather. The quetzal's skin is very thin and easily torn, so it has evolved thick plumage to protect its skin. It has large eyes, adapted to see in the dim light of the forest. Their song is an array of full-toned, mellow, slurred notes in plain patterns and is often remarkably melodious: ''keow'', ''kowee'', ''keow'', ''k'loo'', ''keeloo''.

Distribution and habitat

This species inhabits amidst lush vegetation, in specially moist rainforests at high elevations (). They populate trees that make up the canopy and subcanopy of the rainforest, though they can also be found in ravines

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